St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-02-19
That was the plan.

a.
Pillow said he expected to roll the enemy
tMcClernands division) in full retreat over
upon Gen, Buckner, when, by attack in
| flank and rear they could cut up the enemy
and put him completely to rout"
Pillows attack was sudden and furious.
Reveille was just sounding in bfcClernand's
camp, and the troops were not under arms
when the onset was made. There was con-
fusion, there was danger that the whole right
wing Of the Federal army would be routed.
j, In a few minutes though, in scarcely more
time than it takes to write it, McClernand's
men. gun III hand, had their faces toward the
foe.
The account of the fierce onset and shock.
and its reception by the Federal soldiers,
read like some of Caesars battles with the
Gauls. Gen. Oglesby, of Illinois, who COM
manded brigade on the right, received the
first tremendous attack. His men returned
fire till their ammunition gave out They
snatched mp the cartridge boxes from the dead
and dying and poured their contents into the
foe till that too gave out. Then Col W. II.
L. Wallace's brigade went to the rescue.
That at length quailed before the 'trebly
laundering" attack. A la,nented statesman,
who has lately passed to the realm of the un-
seen, distinguished himself calamity here.
He was then colonel of the Thirty-first Hi
nois and his name was John A. Logan He
was here and there and everywhere in that
battle showering electric words upon his
men, his dark face Lit with excitement. his
eye shining like an eagles By the magnet
ism of his personal influence he prevented a
panic and rout early in tbs day.
McClernand's division, with Tavlor's.
Dresser's and McAllister's batteries of light
artillery, met the Confederate onset bravely
and well. To the right of Oglesby still was
Gen. Macarthur, nearest the river He had
been ordered there the night before, with
troops who had had no food all day. They
passed the night in the snow and sleet, with
out fires or shelter. Gen. Macarthur had had
no time to become acquainted with the nature
of the ground. He only knew that he faced
Fort Donelson. The Confederate design was
to make dash and get cavalry III his rear.
and then with cavalry to rear of him, infantry
before, he would be powerless.
Soldiers do not always find it easy to fight
on full stomach, but McArthurs men had
tasted thirty-six hours. In this state of hun
ger they were when they heard at o'clock in
the morning the firing on Oglesby on their
left. As soon as it was heard, without wait
ing for orders, Macarthur formed his empty
stomached men in line of battle They took
a lively hand in the fight. But presently
worse trouble than empty stomachs con-
fronted theln, and that was empty cartridge.
boxes. Before that obstacle they were indeed
powerless, and so the brigade fell back some
hundreds of yards to the rear and took up
new position. 1t is sufficient to say of them
that toward night they got one square meal,
and then moved over to the left of the Federal
forces to support the troops fighting there.
The morning progressed 1t began to look
indeed as if Pillow was going to carry out his
threat to "roll the enemy over" McArthur,s
brigade had crumbled away So had
Oglesbys McClernand's division was in the
gravest danger. In the center, Lew Wallace,
with the Third division, was bing inactive.
His orders were to act on the defensive and
watch the Confederates to prevent their es-
Gaping his way.
Pillows division, in deployina, spread wider
and wider, and more and more toward Lew
Wallace McClernandas division began to
waver. Three Confederate batteries, Maneys,
Porter's and Graves, poured steady fire into
it. Buckner was advancing, too, with his